Lagos issues alert on Ebola virus, gives precautionary tips

The Lagos state government has issued an alert on the
deadly Ebola virus currently sweeping through some West
African countries. The government in a statement signed
by the state's Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris,
issued the alert as a precautionary measure to forestall the
outbreak of the virus in the state. Countries like Sierra
Leone, Liberia, Guinea have recorded a number of cases of
the disease. The statement reads in part below;

"Ebola virus ds caused by the Ebola virus and
outbreaks occur primarily in villages of the Central and
West Africa. The virus can be spread through, close
contact with the blood, body fluids, organ and tissues of
infected animals; direct contact with blood, organ or
body secretions of an infected person. The transmission
of the virus by other animals like monkey and
chimpanzee cannot be ruled out. Early symptoms of
disease include fever, headache, chills, diarrhea,
nausea, vomiting, sore throat, backache, and joint
pains. Later symptoms include bleeding from the eyes,
ears and nose, bleeding from the mouth and rectum,
eye swelling, swelling of the genitals and rashes all over
the body that often contain blood. It could progress to
coma, shock and death."

The commissioner said individuals that are of high risk of
getting infected are health workers, families or friends of an
infected person who could be infected in the course of
feeding, holding and caring for them.

He gave measures to avoid being infected to include;
washing of hands often with soap and water, avoiding
close contact with people who are sick and ensuring that
objects used by the sick are decontaminated and properly
disposed. He also advised that any suspected case should
be immediately reported to the state's Ministry of Health or
any Local Government.